di ruscio



June 19, 1956 v. J. D] RUSCIO 2,750,824

BENCH VISE ADJUSTABLE AROUND HORIZONTAL AXIS BY RACK AND PINION FiledDec. 21, 1953 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 i J O H a rh INVIENTOR. Vmcemffix Ruse/0n 9, 1956 V. J.'Dl :RUSCI'O 2,750,324

BENCH VISE ADJUSTABLE AROUND HORIZONTAL AXIS BY RACK AND PINION FiledDec. 21, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lyi lllllill I III] BENCH VISE ADJUSTABLEAROUND HORIZON- TAL AXIS BY RACK AND PINION Vincent J. Di Ruscio,Healdsburg, Calif.

Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. 399,209

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-33) My present invention relates to tools and moreparticularly to adjustable-position bench swivel-Vises.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an improved benchvise.

Another object is to produce an improved bench vise having a supportingpedestal capable of a 360 degree swivel movement about a vertical axis,and having a jawcarrying superstructure arcuately slidable on thesupporting pedestal to provide a 90 degree adjustable movement of theclamping axis of the vise jaws about a horizontal axis.

Other objects and novel features of the vise will be more apparent asthe description of the construction and operation of it progresses. I

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

nited States Patent Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the vise and shows theclamping axis of the jaws extending horizontally;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 1, but shows theclamping axis of the jaws adjusted to a vertical position;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the vise in the normal position, as seenfrom the left in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the base and swivel saddle carriage uponwhich the upper portion of the vise operates;

Fig. 6 is a typical vertical, central cross section of the vise in themaximum elevated position shown in Fig. 3, portions being shown inelevation;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1,portions of which are shown in elevation.

Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly in cross section, of a pinion shaft, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross section of a modified vise, and shows amodification of the means for clamping the jaw-carrying superstructureto the supporting pedestal.

Referring more in detail to the drawings 10 indicates a fixed basehaving solidly aflixed hold-down lugs 11 for securement to a bench orother fixture. The under side of the fixed base 10 is annularly recessedto receive a disc member 12 capable of 360 degree rotation in therecessed fixed-base 10.

On the top surface of the fixed base 10 is mounted a swivel-basedisc-portion 13 having a shouldered bottom-face 14 rotably mounted in aflanged portion 15 of the fixed base 10. The shouldered bottom-face ofthe swivel portion 13 is fixed to the disc 12 by means of the stud posts16 the threaded ends of which are threadably engaged in tapped holes inthe disc 12. The threaded portion of the posts 16 are loose through theswivel base 13 so that they can easily be turned to act as binding studsthat lock the swivel base portion 13 firmly to the fixed base 10 byclamping the disc 12 against the fixed flange portion 15.

It will thus be seen that the swivel base portion 13 2,750,824 PatentedJune 19, 1956 may be rotated 360 degrees around the fixed base 10 and belocked to the fixed base at any point desired.

On the top face of the swivel portion 13, and being a part thereof is acentral pedestal portion 17, rectangular in horizontal cross section,and comprising an upper saddle portion 18, which is extended at one endso that it over-hangs the pedestal portion 17. This saddle portion 18 isprovided with a cylindrically concave upper surface, and projecting fromeach longitudinal side is a curved rib 20 in the form of a section of anannulus.

On the concave upper side of the saddle portion 18 is located asimilarly arcuate rack 21. It will be observed that the arcuate rack 21and the curved ribs 20 have the same axis of curvature and thus providea curved guide upon which is mounted an arcuately slidable vise jawsuperstructure having parallel side walls 22 and 23. These walls havecylindrically convex lower edges (as viewed in Fig. 1) the inner sidesof the walls being provided with confronting grooves 22a and 23a whichlie parallel to said convex lower edges. These curved grooves 22a, 23ahave the same axes of curvature as the ribs 20 on the saddle 18 and,when mutually engaged, provide arcuate slideways for the jaw-carryingsuperstructure, and permit a degree adjustment of the clamping axis ofwork-engaging jaws 24 and 25. This upper structure is further providedwith an internal pinion shaft 26 journalled through aligned transversebores in the sides 22 and 23, the pinion teeth 27 engaging with theteeth of the rack 21 so that the turning of the pinion shaft 26rotatably positions the sides 22 and 23 on the arcuate slideways.

The pinion shaft 26 is flatted at 28 on the end protruding from the side22. A forked lever 29 is pivoted at 30 to'the flatted sides 28 of thepinion shaft 26. The inner edges 31 of the lever 29 are curved forwiping contact with a boss on the side 22. The upper part of the curvededge 31 of each fork of the lever is eccentric so that when the lever istipped up, as shown in dot-anddash lines in Fig. 4, the sides 22 and 23are compressed, thus jamming the pinion and frictionally tightening theside walls 22 and 23 on the saddle 18, thereby locking the jaws in anydesired position.

When the lever 29 is in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, itacts as a crank to rotate the pinion shaft 26 moving it along the rack21 thereby rotating the jaw structure.

Upper forward portions of the side walls 22, 23 are rigidly connected bythe jaw 25 and by an anvil-forming plate 32. An intermediate portion ofthe side walls is bridged by a plate 33 (see Fig. 6) parallelly spacedfrom the anvil plate 32, so as to form a tubular slide way having flatinterior surfaces 34 (see Fig. 7). A tubular slide 35, rectangular incross section, engages the flat surfaces 34 and at one end is rigidlyjoined to a base portion of the jaw 24. The slide 35 has an internalbore 36 which houses a substantial portion of an elongate sleeve-nut 37.The latter projects beyond the rear end of the slide 35, and thisprojecting portion has a transverse bore that receives a pin 38 securedin aligned apertures in the side walls 22, 23. Threadedly engaged in thenut 37 is the jaw-tightening screw 39. The forward portion 40 of thescrew 93 is journalled in the base portion of the jaw 24. The extremeforward end of the screw portion 40 is provided with an annular groove41. A split washer 42 is recessed in the extreme front of the base ofthe jaw portion 24 and engages around the annular groove 41. A plate 43is secured by screws 44 to the base portion of the jaw 24. An enlargedand shouldered portion 45 of the screw 39 is provided with a transversebore which receives a slidable cross-handle 46 for turning said screw.

"ice

In operation, the vise may be rotated 360 degrees about a vertical axis,and the clamping axis of the jaw structure may be rotated 90 degreesabout a horizontal axis from the normal position shown in Fig. 1 to thevertical position shown in Figs. 3 and 6, or to any angle within suchrange of movement. The latter adjustment is made by turning the cranklever 29, when it is in a cranking position and, by tipping the handle29 to the position shown in Fig, 4 in dot-and-dash lines, the jawstructure will be securely locked in position.

In Fig. 9 is shown an alternative means for locking the clamping axis ofthe jaw structure in adjusted position. In this modification, the upperside of the saddle 18 is not provided with rack teeth. A partiallythreaded stud 50 is mounted in aligned bores in the side walls 22' and23, and has a smooth portion that makes a force fit with the bore in theside wall 23, while the threaded end loosely extends through the bore inthe side Wall 22. A hand-wheel 51 is threaded onto the stud 50. The jawsuperstructure is rotated on the saddle portion 18 to any angle desiredand the handwheel 51 is tightened thereby frictionally jamming the sideportions 22 and 23 on the saddle portion 18. The sides 22 and 23 onlyhave to be compressed a matter of a few thousandths of an inch to efiectthis condition.

It is to be understood that I may vary the shape and proportions and usepatentable equivalent structure in my invention within wide latitudewhile remaining within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention in detail what I claim as new is:

An improved bench swivel-vise comprising in combination, a swivel basemounted on and interlocked with a fixed base portion and means forlocking said bases together, a saddle portion fixed to said swivelportion, an upstanding central portion of said saddle portion comprisinga cylindrically concave and upwardly facing toothed rack having arcuateslideways located on its opposite sides, said rack and said slidewayshaving a common horizontal axis of curvature, a vise-jaw superstructurehaving parallel side walls, said side walls having arcuate guidewayscomplementary to said slideways and arcuately slidable thereon foradjustment of said superstructure about said horizontal axis ofcurvature, a pinion shaft journaled through said side walls and havingcentral pinion teeth meshing the teeth of said concave rack, a pivotedcrank handle pivoted to said pinion shaft for rotating said pinion shaftin order to adjust said superstructure about said axis of curvature,said handle having a cam portion for locking said superstructure to saidrack in any adjusted position, said superstructure having a raisedvise-jaw-portion, a slid able jaw having a tubular guide portion whichis square in cross section, said square tubular guide portion having itslongitudinal axis normally extending horizontally, said square tubular.guide portion being slidable in a slideway of square cross section, saidsquare slideway being located in the superstructure between said sidewalls and below said raised vise-jaw portion, the square tubular portionof the slidable jaw merging into a solid front portion which is providedwith a bore having its longitudinal axis coinciding with thelongitudinal axis of said square tubular portion, a vise-operating screwjournaled in said bore in said solid front portion, a sleeve nutthreadedly engaged over the rear portion of said screw member and havingits extreme rear end portion fixed between said side walls by means of apin passing through said nut portion and the side walls, a forward endof said concave rack extending beyond said upstanding central portionand constituting a stop member for said superstructure, said stop memberbeing engaged by the solid front portion of said slidable jaw when saidlongitudinal axis of said square tubular portion reaches its normalhorizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,117,137 McGuire Nov. 10, 1914 1,392,130 Engstrom et al. Sept. 27, 19212,207,881 Smith July 16, 1940 2,703,028 Goodwill Mar. 1, 1955 FOREIGNPATENTS 702,724 France Jan. 27, 1931

